Greetings from Amsterdam!  I’m happy to report that things are going quite well with us and with the ministry of Zolder50.  Marci and I have been trying to organize some home improvement projects.  Our kids are doing well in school (it’s really dramatic, actually, to hear how vastly Olivia’s Dutch has improved in her first couple of months in elementary school!).  And the church seems to be growing nicely, with another new home group starting this month and an especially high degree of interest being currently generated by a new teaching series on Biblical Manhood, Womanhood, and Sexuality.

Of course, there’s always something to keep life a little unsettled.

For our church, this current “something” has to do with the recent announcement of an unfortunate upcoming farewell to some of our church’s most beloved, most long-standing, most dedicated servants:  the Watkins Family.  Todd and Lindy Watkins were a part of the original church planting team here in Amsterdam, and they’ve been living here for the past six years (in which time they’ve also had two beautiful children—Amelie and Gabrian—added to their household).  Todd and I were asked to step into the role of pastors-in-training together, back in 2003, when the founding pastor of the church unexpectedly returned to the United States with his family.  Since then, Todd has become one of our church’s main communicators (bringing approximately 70 percent of the Sunday messages), and Todd has been particularly instrumental in developing and keeping our community focused on our vision to “Know Jesus, Become Like Jesus, and Make Jesus Known.”  Together, he and I have become (if I do say so myself) a pretty effective, balanced leadership team for Zolder50.  But unfortunately, we’ll now have to manage without Todd (and Lindy, and Amelie, and Gabrian).  Perhaps you would be interested to read the following excerpt from a letter that Todd recently sent out to his friends and ministry partners, informing them of his family’s decision:

...After a long process of listening to God, seeking counsel, and searching our hearts, (Lindy and I) have decided to move back to the States in the summer of 2009.  Without going into all the details, it has become clear that the best way for me to care for my family is for us to move back.  This is primarily due to the phase of life we are in (with young children) as well as certain challenges we’ve experienced in living cross-culturally.

This has been a very hard decision to make; as parents, church leaders, and missionaries, our hearts have been torn in different directions.  There is a part of us that would like to stay in Amsterdam.  We love the church and there are still so many people to reach for Christ!  At the same time, we know our first priority is for our family.  In making the decision to care for and provide a better place for our family, both Lindy and I have a strong peace that our decision is the right one.  Because of this, we believe God is going to bless the decision, both for us and for Zolder50.

As for Zolder50’s future… we have a council of leaders (the Servant Leadership Council) who are talking through how to best replace my role.  Yes, our departure will have an impact on the church, but we also know this church is God’s... he is the head of the church, not any one man.  We (my co-pastor Eric and I) are trusting that God will raise up the needed teachers and pastors to replace my role.  

As for our family’s future... we feel a bit like Abraham and Sarah, we know God is leading us to another land, but not exactly sure where... We are trusting God will lead the way...  We ask that you would please join with us in prayer for God’s provision for Zolder50 and his direction for our family...

In Christ’s love,

Todd and Lindy

We are, of course, deeply saddened to think about saying good-bye to such tried and true friends and partners in ministry.  But we also feel great hope and optimism for the future.  Our church has been through so many “crises” in its short history—losing other leaders, being forced to move from facility to facility, squeaking through some precarious financial circumstances—but God has provided for us each time, and this time it seems that we’re better situated than ever to deal with this upcoming loss.  Our home group leaders are now battle-tested and banded together.  And since August, a special set of 11 home group leaders have volunteered to help form our “Servant Leadership Council” (pictured below), to help provide leadership for our two church communities as a whole.

If you would, please pray with us for an effective leadership transition, throughout the coming six months.  Please pray for God’s blessing on the Watkins family as they depart, but also for our family and for the other members of the Servant Leadership Council, who we trust God will use to keep guiding the church from this point forward.  Thanks for your partnership in everything.  We’ll be in touch…

Eric